FAIR AND BIASED: JUST RIP THE BANDAGE OFF!

Monday, January 21, 2019

JUST RIP THE BANDAGE OFF!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

CREDIT OR BLAME?

by Steve Fair

As the government shutdown enters the second month, it appears no end is in sight. President Trump offered concessions to the Democrats for the ‘dreamers,’ the young illegal immigrants brought to the country as children, in exchange for funding of a border wall. Thus far, no Congressional Democrat- House or Senate- has expressed support for Trump’s proposal. The POTUS has vowed to continue the shutdown until funding is agreed to. Democrat Congressional leaders have refused to negotiate with the president and vowed to not give in.

First, Democrats have agreed in the past to most of Trump’s proposals. Fox News delights in showing clips of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA) and Charles Senator Schumer, (D-NY) publicly advocating for border barriers before Trump was president. To a degree, that paints them into a corner.

Second, President Trump has taken ownership of the shutdown. Unlike the Democrat congressional leadership, Trump admits his part in the shutdown. According to the Washington Post, that is translating into the loss of support from Trump’s political base, but there is little evidence his supporters are abandoning him. One of Trump’s primary campaign promises was the building of a border wall and to his credit he is trying to deliver on that promise. The Democrats are committed to making sure he doesn’t succeed. Like him or not, the POTUS doesn’t back down from a fight and is not the typical politician. That has to be unsettling for career politicos.

Third, Trump’s proposal on Saturday is eerily similar to one he criticized during the primary campaign. During the GOP debates, Senator Marco Rubio, (R-Florida) was a frequent target of the other candidates for his views on illegal immigration, which included a ‘pathway to citizenship.’ Rubio’s ideas were attacked and Trump was the primary critic. Just goes to show you that the theoretical often differs from reality. Governing is more difficult than campaigning.

Fourth, a shutdown may be an opportunity to prune the federal government. The POTUS has amazing leverage when it comes to putting the civil service workforce back to work. If Trump wants to really shake things up, he could hold out for only partial reopening of the government. Clearly, the federal government is bloated and a workforce reduction in one stroke of a pen would be painful, but it may be the only way to deal with it. Just rip the bandage off! The national debt is out of the control. Pruning government would be a good thing and while ‘across the board’ is not the ideal way to do it, it is a way.

The Democrat congressional leadership and their rank and file have shown remarkable solidarity through the shutdown. They hope voters in 2020 will blame President Trump for the shutdown, and give them credit for opposing the wall. That is risky because polls show most U.S. citizens are very concerned about border security. The POTUS may get more credit than blame.

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Why FAIR & BIASED?

FAIR- because that's my name and BIASED because the truth is we are all biased- either for something or against it. What's important is that our bias(opinions) are based on right- on absolute truth and not on changing values. What's right cannot change based on a change in circumstances. That is the basis for situational ethics.

Situation Ethics is a theory that is concerned with the outcome or consequences of an action; the end, as opposed to an action being intrinsically wrong. In the case of situation ethics, the end can justify the means. There are no absolutes. Your actions are guided only by your conscience.

A person's view of right can be subjective. But there is a way mankind can definitely know what's right and that is revealed in God's Word- the Bible. As His creatures, we should be biased toward things our Creator is for and biased against those things He is against. May God grant us the grace and understanding to know the difference.

PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

How important is political party affiliation? Some people mistakenly believe only politicians need political affiliation, which they use for support to get elected. They contend the electorate or voters, do not need to be aligned with any Party. These same people often state they “support the man, not the Party.” But whether they recognize it or not, they are supporting a party when they “support the man.”
Most of the Founding Fathers had a negative view of political parties. In his farewell address to the nation, George Washington warned about political parties saying, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” In spite of Washington's warning, political parties were formed anyway.
From 1796 to 1828 the first political parties were formed. Starting with the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, two opposing factions arose. Each was concerned with how the new government was to be organized. The Federalists believed in a strong central government. Their philosophy and beliefs would closely mirror the Democrat Party today. The Anti-Federalists strongly supported the rights of the states. They would more closely align with Republicans today.
Since the mid 1800s, the Ds and Rs have been the two major political parties in our country. Political parties flourished in our government mainly for legislative organization and expediencies sake. Why is Party affiliation important for the average voter? Party affiliation is important for three very simples reasons.
First, party affiliation is the first vote a citizen casts. When a citizen registers as a Democrat, then they are aligning philosophically with the values, beliefs, tenets, and positions of the Democrats on the issues. Party affiliation “defines” you are and what you stand for. It should be taken as seriously as a vote for a specific candidate. Research what each Party stands for, their positions on issues, and then align with the Party that is closest to your values. Copies of both major Party platforms are available on-line or at the local library.
Second, legislatures organize themselves and conduct business using party affiliation. The legislative branch of government is the most powerful arm of the three branches of government. Legislative bodies hold closed meeting of party members, called a caucus to decide on questions of policy or leadership. The Republicans hold a caucus meeting and the Democrats hold a caucus meeting-both at the state and federal level. Unfortunately, conservative, moderate and liberal philosophies do not hold caucus meetings or control the legislative agendas- parties do. When someone says they vote for “the man,” not the party, they fail to understand the power and function of a caucus system in a legislative body. The Party in the majority controls appointments, Chairmanships, the agenda and countless other things through the caucus.
Third, party affiliation should be a matter of conviction, not convenience. Often, people align with a party so they can vote in primary elections or based on family tradition or geographies. Even candidates will align, file and run affiliated with a Party they have little philosophical agreement with. That decision is made out of convenience, not conviction. While no political party is perfect or has all the answers, there is a distinct difference between the two major parties and honest citizens should align with the Party that reflects their convictions.
The Democrat Party is more liberal than the Republican Party. Liberals believe in more government control of business, the environment and speech, using large bureaucratic programs to address real or perceived social ills and constant reinterpretation of the Constitution. Liberals are more inclined to trust government than the people themselves. They see the role of government as a great provider of goods and services and have little faith in the individual to solve his own problems.
Republicans are more conservative than Democrats. Conservatives believe in less government control of the environment and business. They want fewer and less comprehensive government programs to address real or perceived social ills. They believe in personal responsibility and trust individuals to make decisions for themselves. Republicans believe in a strict literal interpretation of the Constitution. A person should find out which of these philosophies best fits their view if they wish to actively participate in the political process.
Party affiliation is important. Washington’s prophecy has come to past, and political parties have been used to empower “unprincipled men,” on both sides of the aisle, but like it or not, political parties are a reality in our system of government. Each concerned citizen should evaluate the philosophy, values, beliefs and tenets of each Party and align their party affiliation accordingly.

FAIR AND BIASED

Monday, January 21, 2019

JUST RIP THE BANDAGE OFF!

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FEDERAL SPENDING WEBSITE

The Sermon on the Mount

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TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!

PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

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